3 Ways Arthritis Sufferers Benefit from Electric Wheelchairs

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability and loss of mobility in America.¹ However, many people who suffer from arthritis find that using a power wheelchair can sometimes make it easier to live with arthritis on a daily basis.

Millions of arthritis sufferers experience fatigue, stiffness, pain and limitations in their personal mobility everyday. And though some arthritis patients get relief from mild exercise, medications and/or walkers and wheelchairs, there are others who might benefit from an electric wheelchair.²

Power Wheelchairs: Help for Arthritis Patients

The discomfort of arthritis can severely disrupt essential, mobility-related activities of daily living. Whether it's rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or any of the other more than 100 conditions associated with arthritis, a power wheelchair can potentially make a real difference in the quality of life.

Here are a few of the many ways power chairs may help those with arthritis.

1. Power chairs keep arthritis sufferers comfortably independent. Power wheelchairs permit people who suffer from arthritis to move about their home freely, without strain or exertion. Using the joystick controller is virtually effortless. Attaching a soft and spongy yellow ball knob onto the controller may add to the ease-of-use for some arthritis patients.
2. Power chairs can be adapted for changes in arthritic condition. A doctor may decide to increase the therapeutic comfort of a patient's power chair by prescribing medically necessary wheelchair positioning aids, such as elevating leg rests or fixed angle foot rests. And, because they can be easily upgraded, power wheelchairs can accommodate many changes in a patient's condition.
3. Electric wheelchairs may be covered in part by Medicare.³ Depending on specific eligibility factors, Medicare could pay up to 80% of the cost for a power chair. For example, a power wheelchair that is prescribed by a doctor for someone with rheumatoid arthritis may be eligible for coverage under Medicare guidelines. For some Medicare beneficiaries, the electric wheelchair could cost nothing out of pocket at all.³

Living with arthritis doesn't have to mean the end of an independent life. Call us today at 800-542-7236 and learn if a power chair might be your best solution to be more comfortable living with arthritis.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Every situation is unique. Hoveround makes no guarantee of benefits or the extent of coverage for specific claims. Please consult individual insurance plans and/or a Medicare-approved healthcare provider for details.

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¹More information is available from the Arthritis Foundation.

²Medicare requires a face-to-face mobility examination prior to consideration of the power wheelchair benefit.

³Insurance coverage depends on medical necessity as determined by you insurer, and a valid doctor's prescription is required.